STEPPENWOLF 1ST LP- RARE ORIG 1968 ABC DUNHILL PSYCH ROCK LP -MONARCH PRESS

$

40

This is a super rare original very clean first pressing of the first album by Steppenwolf, released in the foil style cover by ABC Dunhill Records in 1968, with no advertisement printed on front cover hyping the hit song, Born To Be Wild. This is also the very rare pressing produced by The Monarch Record Company in Los Angeles, CA. This is evidenced by the encircled initials of the company, as well as recording pressing number 11491 preceded by delta triangle etched in the dead wax near the labels on both sides, which is pictured. The LP includes their Number one hit, Born To Be Wild. Since the song became a hit after the album release it was not advertised on the front of the original first cover. The song was written by Mars Bonfire who played with the band when they were known as Jonathan Kay And The Sparrows, although his last name is misspelled as Bondfire. You will note from my photos that earliest pressings of this album show label with Dunhill and ABC logos in separate boxes, but with no space between the two boxes. If you look at the label depicted at the top spine corner of the front of original cover you will also see that the boxes with the two logos are connected, which is what the original record label would have also looked like. I have seen a number of listings on this site with later label which displays Dunhill and ABC logos in separate boxes with the boxes detached, that are offered as original labels. But that label was not used until about 1969. At listing there were really no comparable copies available from US seller on eBay. There was only one copy copy with a slightly lower grade available from a US Seller at a much higher cost on DISCOGS.

The LP visually is in excellent to near mint condition with a very small slight inaudible scuff, and plays very cleanly. The cover is in very good plus condition. All corners are sharp. The spine and seams are solid with spot rub wear and no splits. The front and back covers are reasonably clean with spot wear visible particularly at the front bottom. In grading I use Excellent instead of VG++ for those items deemed just a notch below near mint.

Please understand that opened play graded copies may have been graded several weeks before listing and may be available for sale for some time, so the LP must be cleaned again before play. LP's are cleaned manually as I no longer have machine, so matter may have settled in the grooves in the interim. Please do not claim LP is not as described if you play the LP without first cleaning the LP.

The LP will be shipped within 24 hours of payment, which is expected within 3 days of auction end, in specially made LP mailer with the LP separated from the cover (for unsealed items) and well packaged to protect the item from damage during shipment. Returns are accepted with buyer paying return shipping cost as long as contact is made within 30 days after receipt of item and LP is returned in the condition received. Sealed items will only be permitted if returned unopened. Please note that I will not grant partial refunds

Shipping cost is $4 per LP which includes cost of material used. To reduce shipping cost, I will combine shipping on multiple items bid and won during the same auction cycle. Please do not pay until I have had the opportunity to manually adjust the shipping cost. I cannot hold items for multiple auction cycles as it will affect my EBAY standing in so far as it concerns shipment time.

I only accept bids from continental US based buyers and will only ship to an address within the continental US, recorded for the buyer on PAYPAL, which is the only method I can accept for payment. However, if a buyer registers on Ebay with an address that is not their residence but merely the address of an international freight forwarding commercial entity contracted to then forward the item outside the US, I will cancel that transaction and block the bidder from future auctions. I cannot and will not be responsible for damage that may be caused to an item because it is subject of international reshipment.

Please keep in mind that I am a person looking to sell their collection and not a store or commercial seller. I play grade open items sold and do the best I can in the process to give an honest assessment of the item As is shown by my feedback I think I do a good job of satisfying most buyers. I leave feedback for all buyers and if you are satisfied with the transaction I would greatly appreciate positive feedback from the buyer as well. It does not take very long and is very important to me as seller. If for any reason you cannot leave positive feedback or are not satisfied, please have the courtesy of contacting me before leaving negative or neutral feedback. In almost all cases the issue can be worked out to the buyers satisfaction even if it means returning the item. If the item is not as described I will bear all shipping costs including return shipping. If a buyer behaves in a rude or unreasonable manner, and/ or fails to contact me to address issues they have with an item before negative or neutral feedback is left, I will block that buyer from further auction participation. I also reserve the right to block any buyer that leaves negative or neutral feedback when I have done everything possible to put the buyer in a position as if the transaction had not taken place.

If a buyer requests LP return because it is claimed that an LP is not as described and on return it is found that LP is just as described, I will block that person from further auction participation. I felt I had to take this latest action as I have encountered few too many people who do not do their due diligence in cleaning the record before play, or are just plain dishonest. If you want to return an album that you just do not want and there is nothing wrong with the LP, then unless you want to be blocked from future auctions, you must pay return postage, simple as that.

I am auctioning almost 5000 records of my own collection, including rock. soul, blues and jazz, that are very clean and, included are some very rare items that rarely are available